How To Wash Dishes Properly
Are lazy ball when it comes to washing dishes? Washing dishes properly is a bit more than just rinsing off your plates. First, you definitely want to rinse off your dishes after meals, which is conducive to washing your utensils by hand, or by machine. Seriously, do you want a bunch of dried remnants of meals past on your utensils and plates? When it comes to how you wash your dishes, then consider whether or not to purchase a dishwasher. Even if you do own a dishwasher, perhaps there are times when it is easier to wash dishes by hand rather than by filling up the machine. I know when I lived by myself it was more efficient to just to wash all my dishes manually, especially since I do not use that many.
When it comes to washing dishes by hand or by machine, make sure you have the right kind of dish soap! The wrong type of dish soap can make the cleaning process a mess, quite literally! For instance, if you put hand dish soap in a dish washer, it will overflow and cause a soapy flood. If you try to wash your dishes by hand with automatic dish washing detergent, you will have a very hard time rinsing the concentrated gel off your plates, cups, and utensils. So read all directions when it comes to your dish detergent, and make sure you are washing your dishes properly! This may seem like a straight forward concept to most people, but I did have a roommate who filled the dish washer with hand dish soap. I came home to a soapy flood to clean up, so I am just warning all people who have never washed dishes before. Learn how to do it the right way before you start!
Washing Dishes By Hand
You can buy the economical type of hand dish soap, which will give you more money to spend on gourmet food. Personally I prefer to scout Wal-Mart for discounts on hand dish soap, but you can also find some good deals online with Amazon. If you live in an isolated region then buying dish soap online may be your best bet, especially if this kitchen product costs more at your local store.
When I go out to buy hand dish soap my favorite brand over the years has become the 64 oz size bottle of Ajax Ruby Red Grapefruit with bleach alternative. Over the years I just decided I happen to love the scent of this particular brand of hand dish soap. The last time I bought it at Wal-Mart it just under three dollars, but at Food4Less it was about thirty cents more. I prefer to do most of my shopping at Food4Less and will pick it up there if it is convenient, but I do like to make a special trip to Wal-Mart to buy this hand dish soap since it is a bit cheaper. You know I used to just buy the bargain brands of hand dish soap, and I still do when I am at the Dollar Store. However, I just have found over the years I prefer Ajax soap because it produces better suds, and is reasonably priced compared to other name brands that do an efficient job at cleaning my dishes.
If you wash dishes by hand then make sure to pick up a dish drainer, but there is an alternative if you hate the contraption taking up room on your junk. This is what I did when I grew tired of my dish drainer: I simply used a large bath towel and allowed the dishes to dry on top of it. Simply lay the towel on the counter and put your dishes on top. When you are done all you have to do is wash the towel, which makes washing dishes more efficient than using a dish drainer. I used to hate rinsing dust and over questionable matter off the dish drainer, which has a lot of hiding spots. Just imagine all the dish drainers in the world that are never cleaned, and people put their clean dishes in those things!
Washing Dishes With A Dishwasher
If I lived solo I would not use the dishwasher, but since I live with someone else, this appliance comes in handy! I honestly do not have a favorite type of automatic dishwasher detergent, but I do recommend checking out the Dollar Store for discounted bottles of this stuff! Just make sure you never put hand dish soap in your dishwasher as it will flood!
Another way you can save money when running your dishwasher is to avoid using the drying mode, but some people insist on it because allowing dishes to drip dry in the machine can cause streaks. Seriously, if you do not mind a few streaks, I say skip the automatic drying mode, but that is up to you. Remember to always rinse your dishes before placing these in the dishwasher, which will ensure your dishes come out clean without any residue. Happy dish washing, and feel free to send this hub to people who have never washed dishes before.